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Wednesday, February 22, 2012

NOTE from DearMYRTLE: The following was just received from our friends at FindMyPast. Please address all inquiries to Debra Chatfield debra.chatfield@findmypast.co.uk.

* First time that 19th century merchant navy records are available online
* UK merchant seamen records from two centuries now searchable at findmypast.co.uk

Leading family history website www.findmypast.co.uk
has today released online for the first time Merchant Seamen records
from the 19th century in association with The National Archives of the
United Kingdom.

359,000 records of individuals covering the years 1835-1857 have now
been added to the website. Details contained within the records can
vary, but can include name, age, place of birth, physical description,
ship names and dates of voyages. Often this information can be given in
the form of coded entries which can easily be deciphered using
downloadable finding aids from The National Archives.

The records are taken from volumes held at The National Archives in
series BT112, BT113, BT114, BT115, BT116 and BT120 and were created by
central government to regulate the merchant shipping industry. As the
series spans two decades, some individuals may appear in multiple
series, making it possible for maritime historians or those with
ancestors in the merchant navy, to trace a seaman's service over time.

Janet Dempsey, Maritime Expert at The National Archives commented:

"These records are as significant to the social historian as they are to
the family historian. No other group of working class men and women
had the freedom of movement and ability to see the world as these 19th
century mariners.

"This was the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen's earliest
attempts at keeping individuals records and resulted in four different
registers over twenty two years. Although more of a challenge to work
with than other family history sources, it can be very satisfying to
decipher the codes and have your investigative efforts rewarded with
sometimes surprisingly rich detail."

In 2011 findmypast.co.uk
published Merchant Navy Seamen records from 1918-1941 in association
with The National Archives, some of which include photographs.

Debra Chatfield, family historian at findmypast.co.uk
added: "The Merchant Navy Seamen records will be of great interest to
family historians worldwide, as so many of us have generations of
ancestors, who made their living at sea. These records will add more
detail to our mental picture of their lives."

All the Merchant Navy Seamen records at findmypast.co.uk
can be searched for free from the Education & Work section of the
website. Transcripts and images can be viewed either with PayAsYouGo
credits or a Full Subscription.

About findmypast.co.uk
Leading UK family history website findmypast.co.uk
was the first company to make the complete birth, marriage and death
indexes for England and Wales available online in April 2003, winning
the Queen's Award for Innovation.

Findmypast.co.uk
has subsequently digitised many more family history records and now
offers access to over 750 million records dating as far back as 875 AD.
This allows family historians to search for their ancestors among
comprehensive collections of military, census, migration, parish, work
and education records, as well as the original comprehensive birth,
marriage and death records. The company runs the official 1911 census
website for England & Wales in association with The National
Archives and has digitised several other record sets from the national
collection.

About The National Archives
For the record, for good... The National Archives is a government
department and an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). As
the official archive of the UK government and England and Wales, we
look after and make available to the public a collection of historical
records dating back over 1,000 years, including records as diverse as
Domesday Book and MI5 files.
Our 21st-century role is to collect and secure the future of the record,
both digital and physical, to preserve it for generations to come, and
to make it as accessible as possible. We do this by devising
technological solutions to ensure the long-term survival of public
records and working to widen access to our collection. The National
Archives also advises on information management across government,
publishes all UK legislation, manages Crown copyright and supports the
wider archive sector. We work to promote and improve access to public
sector information and its re-use.
Follow the press office on Twitter @TNApressofficer and for general news @UkNatArchives.